Saturday, 30 November 2013

An internationally renowned concert pianist's career is in tatters after he was convicted of fondling a 15 year-old girl while seducing the youngster's love-struck mother on his couch.

Oxford-educated Robin Zebaida, 49, a graduate of the Royal College of Music, ran his hand up and down the teen, caressing her thigh and bottom, while simultaneously "french kissing" her mother.

He was found guilty by an Isleworth Crown Court jury yesterday of sexually assaulting the girl at his St. John's Wood apartment in Grove End Gardens, Grove End Road on November 24, last year.

Zebaida, who fought the charge, was conditionally discharged for two years, ordered to sign the sex offenders register for two years and pay a £15 victim surcharge.

His successful career had also involved teaching music masterclasses to youngsters all over the world with the British Council and being an approved examiner with the Royal College of Music.

Zebaida revealed the accusations, which left him: "stunned, shocked," meant he had to decline performance work worth £15,000 to £20,000.

The jury heard the widowed mother pursued the defendant after meeting him while performing on a Mediterranean cruise, sending him boxes of chocolates and arranging dates in London.

She told the court she wanted things to go further and joined Zebaida on a two-seater sofa, with her daughter on the other side, and the defendant's arms around their shoulders.

"While embracing them in that way Mr. Zebaida, as he brought his hand down on the girl's hip, put his hand under the top she was wearing on her bare flesh" prosecutor Mr. Mark Gadsden explained.

"He stroked her there and moved his hand up to her breast, where her bra was, but did not touch her breast.

"He started kissing the mother, 'smooching' as the daughter described it, french-kissing.

"The daughter then lay on the floor, complaining of the effects of the alcohol the defendant plied them both with, she had been drinking miniatures, and consumed more then the adults.

"He coaxed her back on to the couch and caressed her thigh and bottom in a slow and deliberate way," explained Mr. Gadsden. "He also kissed her on the neck and she felt unable to stop it happening.

"The mother never saw any of this sexual touching of her daughter and the defendant may have been disinhibited from the effects of the alcohol, the music, the romance."

It was the fourth date involving all three after twice meeting at the Steinway studios, where Zebaida was practising, and once to the Imperial War Museum and they returned to his apartment after dining at an Iranian restaurant.

"We sat on the sofa and he put some music on and we had some alcoholic drinks," the mother told the jury. "My daughter had one or two vodka miniatures and I think he had some whiskey.

"He had an arm around each of us and he kissed me, which turned into a french kiss," she explained. "It was a bit of a surprise.

"He had an arm around my waist and an arm around my daughter's back and French-kissed me several times within bouts of conversation."

The daughter reluctantly shared the sofa-bed with her mother that night, the court heard. "She was uncomfortable with Robin and she wanted to leave.

"She told me his hand had been under her shirt and against her stomach."

The pair left early in the morning, despite the defendant encouraging them to stay, claimed the mother. "He said we should stay longer and began cuddling me and started undoing my bra."

The girl shared her experience with a counsellor three months later and the police were informed, resulting in Zebaida's arrest and charge.

"I was absolutely stunned, shocked and could not comprehend how this could have been made. It made no sense," he told the jury, also denying sucking the girl's finger and kissing her neck.

The British-born defendant, who has a diploma in physiology and massage, said he did touch the woman's daughter lightly because of her posture and back problems following the fatal car crash that claimed the lives of her father and brother.

"At the museum she said she had a bit of a sore back and I just touched her and when she played the piano I suggested that she sat a little more straight and just touched her on the shoulder."

Friday, 29 November 2013

A "devious and clever" financial advisor, who battered his millionaire Mayfair client to death after looting £343,000 to fund a lifestyle of flash cars and expensive hotels, holidays and restaurants, is facing a life sentence after he was convicted of murder today.

David Jeffs, 36, (pic.bottom) murdered wealthy socialite Roberto Troyan, 63, who had received a large inheritance from his late his civil partner, interior designer Anthony Feldman, Croydon Crown Court heard.

Jeffs, of Larch Close, Arnold, Nottingham denied, but was convicted of murdering Mr. Troyan (pic.top) at the Mount Street address on March 8 and defrauding him between March 1, 2010 and December 2, last year and will be sentenced next month.

He shook his head as the verdicts were announced and his wife of 16 months, english teacher Cheri Jeffs, 31, who has attended every day of the trial broke down in tears and was comforted by other supporters.

"This defendant took advantage of a frail and vulnerable man for his own gains over a long period," explained prosecutor Mr. Edward Brown QC at the start of the trial.

"As a result he was able to live the high life, but all at the expense of the deceased, who when the defendant first met him was a rich man.

"He died less rich by hundreds of thousands of pounds thanks to this defendant's dishonesty.

"The defendant kept the true source of his spending power from everyone. He had come to rely on the deceased, or his wealth, for his own lifestyle.

"When the life to which the defendant happily had become accustomed appeared to him to be about suddenly to come to an end and that there was a real possibility that his callous acts would soon be found out, he killed him."

Jeffs was employed by London and Weybridge, Surrey-based HFM Columbus, a partnership of financial and wealth management firms and invested £1.2 million for Mr. Troyan in an off-shore bank.

The jury were told he abused his client's trust, buying himself two Lotus sports cars, blowing £19,500 in one night at lap dancing club Spearmint Rhino and treating himself to "expensive" holidays in the USA, Mauritius and Ibiza.

There were also VIP rugby and polo events, stays at expensive hotels, meals at top restaurants, a £1150 night at celebrity West End club Chinawhite and evidence of cocaine and ecstasy use.

Mr. Troyan, who suffered fatal head injuries, was one half of the first-ever civil partnership in the UK and Mr. Feldman's clients included Princess Michael of Kent and Jonathan Aitken.

He was found on his blood-splattered kitchen floor by his cleaner and had suffered multiple skull fractures, a fractured jaw, cheek and eye-socket and had inhaled blood into his airways.

Mr. Troyan had enjoyed spending his ex-partner's inheritance and hosted cocaine parties at the flat and was known to have had several gay lovers.

CCTV evidence showed Jeffs spent 15 minutes inside the flat after Mr. Troyan buzzed him in and afterwards bought identical clothes and cleaned-up his Lotus car and himself at a petrol station.

He told police there was no answer at Mr. Troyan's door, but after the deceased's blood was found on his briefcase he claimed to have had a confrontation on the landing with an angry blood-stained mystery man.

In a desperate bid to explain away damning DNA evidence Jeffs told the jury the man was probably a "rent boy" or "angry pimp."

"This was plainly a wholly false account. It was invented to cater for the blood that had in truth come from his own contact with Mr. Troyan and Mr. Troyan's wet blood during the attack," added Mr. Brown.

"The deceased's blood came to be on that briefcase because this defendant, in those fifteen minutes, was the one who, perhaps in just a few seconds or minutes, beat that frail man, most likely because he was about to bring to an end his gravy train, his lifestyle and very possibly his liberty."

The court heard Mr. Troyan had voiced his dissatisfaction with Jeffs to his cleaner/housekeeper Mrs Davey Aganon and was becoming increasingly concerned about his investments and cash flow.

His rental lease was due for renewal on March 9 and he had arranged to meet Jeffs the day before so more cash could be withdrawn from his bank account to meet the expense.

Jeffs told police he was Mr. Troyan's £1,000 a week "financial concierge" and had been paid two years salary in advance.

Thursday, 28 November 2013

An internationally renowned concert pianist, accused of plying the 15 year-old daughter of a fan with alcohol and fondling her on his couch while "smooching" with the teen's mother, has told a jury he is innocent.

Oxford-educated pianist Robin Zebaida, 49, a graduate of the Royal College of Music, revealed from the witness box how he felt when the allegation was made.

"I was absolutely stunned, shocked and could not comprehend how this could have been made. It made no sense," he told Isleworth Crown Court.

Zebaida, of Grove End Gardens, Grove End Road, St. John's Wood pleads not guilty to sexually assaulting the girl at his apartment on November 24, last year.

He was sitting between the widow mother and daughter on the two-seater couch with an arm around each looking at photographs and the teenager was drinking vodka and her mum wine.

"While embracing them in that way Mr. Zebaida, as he brought his hand down on the girl's hip, put his hand under the top she was wearing on her bare flesh" prosecutor Mr. Mark Gadsden told the jury.

"He stroked her there and moved his hand up to her breast, where her bra was, but did not touch her breast.

"He started kissing the mother, 'smooching' as the daughter described it, french-kissing.

"The daughter then lay on the floor, complaining of the effects of the alcohol the defendant plied them both with, she had been drinking miniatures, and consumed more then the adults.

"He coaxed her back on to the couch and caressed her thigh and bottom in a slow and deliberate way," explained Mr. Gadsden. "He also kissed her on the neck and she felt unable to stop it happening."

Zebaida denied a sexual motive, telling the jury: "I just had my arm around the daughter and on a couple of occasions held her a little closer."

He admitted kissing the girl's mother, who responded as all three sat together, but denied touching her daughter's hip and thigh or sucking her finger and kissing her neck.

Zebaida said the mother had made the running since meeting him as he performed on a Mediterranean cruise, twice sending him boxes of chocolates and phoning and emailing him.

"Quite plainly she was interested in a relationship and I was trying to wind things down a bit," he told the court. "There was an emotional pressure that was a bit more than I wanted."

During their third date at the Imperial War Museum the mother asked Zebaida: "Is this going anywhere? Is this leading to a relationship or do you want a platonic friendship, I'm easy either way."

The defendant, who has a diploma in physiology and massage, said he did touch the woman's daughter lightly because of her posture and back problems following the fatal car crash that claimed the lives of her father and brother.

"At the museum she said she had a bit of a sore back and I just touched her and when she played the piano I suggested that she sat a little more straight and just touched her on the shoulder."

The three had sat in a similar fashion at Zebaida's flat during the second date and the defendant explained: "There was a very strong sense of kinship, a very strong sense of friendship. A lovely sense of human bonding."

He said he failed to quell the mother's romantic interest by explaining he works abroad for long periods.

"She said that she was used to long absences and sort of daydreamed a bit about joining me on one of my trips to the Far East or a cruise, but I did not respond."

Zebaida claimed he was "surprised" the mother suggested they all drink alcohol at his flat.

"Her daughter then said she would like more vodka and spoke about alcoholic drinks and parties she had attended and was supported by her mother in this. I was a bit uneasy.

"However, I felt that if she thought it was okay and her mother thought it was okay then she could have another vodka."

He told the court his arrest and prosecution forced him to decline work worth £15,000-£20,000 and damaged his ten-year successful working relationship with his agent.

Zebaida, who also teaches music masterclasses around the world with the British Council is an examiner with the Associated board of the Royal Schools of Music and says he has helped raised "tens of thousands of pounds" for charity.

Wednesday, 27 November 2013

A benefit cheat hospital worker
used a bogus name to pocket over £30,000 in housing and council tax
benefit during a five-and-a-half year swindle motivated by “simple
greed.”Lena Yussuf, 51, of Maxted Road,
Peckham continued claiming taxpayers money to cover her rent while
employed by Queen Mary's Hospital and St. George's Healthcare NHS
Trust.Camberwell Green Magistrates Court
(pictured) heard Yussuf received total overpayments of £30,800
between November 20, 2006 and July 18, last year.She pleaded guilty to four counts
of failing to notify a change of circumstances to the London Borough
of Southwark and was sentenced to 100 hours community service work
and ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge.No compensation order was made and
the council will continue deducting money from benefit payments
Yussuf is currently receiving.The court heard she obtained
employment as a hospital support worker using a different identity
while continuing to claim benefits.The district judge told her: “It
was simple greed on your part to take public money paid by taxpayers
when you were not entitled.”

Tuesday, 26 November 2013

A drug-addict, who burgled his own
grandmother's home of £11,000 worth of jewellery and repeatedly
stole from his mother, was given his freedom and a chance to kick his
habit yesterday.Daniel Moore, 21, appeared at
Croydon Crown Court, supported by members of his family, where he was
sentenced to sixteen months imprisonment, suspended for two years and
ordered to comply with a nine-month drug rehabilitation order.He had already pleaded guilty to
burgling his grandmother's address in Lindbergh Road, Wallington on
January 23.Moore (pictured) also admitted stealing
valuables from his mother in Gurney Road, Carshalton last year on
November 17; November 21; December 19; December 20; December 22 and
this year on January 8 and June 17.Most of the stolen property was
jewellery and was exchanged for cash at local pawnbroker shops.The defence claim most of it has
been recovered.

Monday, 25 November 2013

A Windsor man, who was twice
arrested in south-east London for drink-driving, is starting a
twelve-month prison sentence for attacking another person in a
convenience store months before.Jason Barry Marshall, 43, of
Colenorton Crescent, Eton Wick was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court
(pictured).He was originally charged with
inflicting grievous bodily harm on Suleyman Dogan at the Lewisham
Food Centre, Lewisham High Street, Lewisham on September 8, last
year.While on bail for that charge
Marshall was arrested on February 19 and 28 in Brackley Road,
Beckenham and Beckenham Park Road respectively and charged with
driving his Ford Focus with excess alcohol on his breath.On the first occasion he was
double the drink-drive limit and on the second occasion almost three
times over.

Sunday, 24 November 2013

A
trusted school caretaker, who preyed on two young girls during end of
term camps in the Easter and Summer holidays, has been jailed for 12
years for the sickening sex attacks.

John
Lyon, 40, (pictured) of Latymer Way, Edmonton lured a seven year-old
girl to a bathroom and as a result of a police investigation a six
year-old girl reported a similar sexual assault.

Wood
Green Crown Court heard the seven year-old was subjected to Lyon's
vile advances on July 30, last year at the camp in Churchbury Road,
Enfield.

The
six year-old was similarly targeted during the previous Easter
holidays.

Lyon
was placed on the sex offenders register for life, and an indefinite
Sexual Offences Prevention Order was imposed.

He
was arrested on August 1, last year, charged on January 17 and
pleaded guilty on September 16.

Detective
Constable Mark Tester of the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child
Abuse Command, said: "This has been a complicated and protracted
enquiry and I wish to thank the victims and their families for their
patience and assistance throughout.

"Lyon
betrayed his position of trust as a caretaker at the school in the
most heinous way, his actions demonstrated a pre-meditation and it is
my belief that he poses a very real risk to children, and this was
reflected in the summing up and sentence imposed by the court."

Saturday, 23 November 2013

A
fence, who was caught with a sawn-off shotgun and illegal ammo after
a stolen computer was traced to his home via a California tip-off, is
starting a four-and-a-half year sentence.

Ousama
Rhanmia, 25, (pictured) of Bedford Hill, Balham had property from ten
different London burglaries at his home when officers raided it on
January 8.

He
was convicted at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court of possession of
the shortened shotgun, 23 rounds of ammunition, 46 CS gas cannisters,
a silencer and three 9mm rounds as well as handling stolen goods.

Rhanmia
was traced after a burglary in Elm Road, Kingston-upon-Thames on
January 26, last year when items including a desktop computer,
laptops and an iPhone were taken.

On
February 2 a Californian friend of the burglary victim reported files
were being deleted on their shared 'Dropbox' folder and the stolen
laptop was traced by police to Rhanmia.

Detective
Sergeant Tony Skinner, from Kingston CID, said: "This was a
protracted investigation which uncovered thousands of pounds worth of
stolen property from burglaries committed across London not to
mention deadly weapons.

"It
has taken eighteen months of hard work to get this result and thanks
must go to Detective Constable Nicola Stopps who oversaw the case
from the beginning.

Friday, 22 November 2013

Another Croydon female tram passenger has been caught hurling racist abuse - this time at a black ticket inspector, who tried to check her Oyster card.

Karen Smith, 52, (pic.top) of North Downs Road, New Addington shouted: "F*** off you black c*** and stop harassing me."

Her appearance at Croydon Crown Court yesterday follows the conviction of neighbour Emma West, 36, who admitted racially aggravated disorderly behaviour and was sentenced last July.

Judge Nicholas Ainley ruled Smith was unfit to enter a plea, but a jury found a charge of racially aggravated threatening behaviour towards Junior Williams on February 15, 2011 proved and she received an absolute discharge.

The court heard Mr. Williams (pic.bottom) tried to check Smith's card after it "double bleeped" on the platform reader outside East Croydon Station.

She told him: "I'm the only person you checked, you black c***," and shouted to the inspector's colleagues: "People like him shouldn't do this to me in my own country. I've been here longer."

Smith was blocked from boarding the tram and replied: "F*** off coon. Just try and stop me."

Mr Williams told the jury: "She described my white colleague as a disgrace to her race.

"I'm there doing a job, it's belittling."

Smith eventually stormed off, after telling Mr. Williams to: "Go back to your own country," but was arrested after lodging an official complaint about the way she was treated.

She reported in a statement: "I was spoken to like I was a piece of dirt by the inspector."

Thursday, 21 November 2013

An internationally renowned concert pianist seduced a love-struck new fan, "french-kissing" her on his sofa, while simultaneously fondling the woman's 15 year-old daughter after plying the pair with alcohol, a court heard yesterday.

Oxford-educated pianist Robin Zebaida, 49, a graduate of the Royal College of Music had an arm around each on the two-seater, but secretly groped the teen while making advances on her mother.

"While embracing them in that way Mr. Zebaida, as he brought his hand down on the girl's hip, put his hand under the top she was wearing on her bare flesh" prosecutor Mr. Mark Gadsden told the Isleworth Crown Court jury.

"He stroked her there and moved his hand up to her breast, where her bra was, but did not touch her breast.

"He started kissing the mother, 'smooching' as the daughter described it, french-kissing.

"The daughter then lay on the floor, complaining of the effects of the alcohol the defendant plied them both with, she had been drinking miniatures, and consumed more then the adults.

"He coaxed her back on to the couch and caressed her thigh and bottom in a slow and deliberate way," explained Mr. Gadsden. "He also kissed her on the neck and she felt unable to stop it happening.

"The mother never saw any of this sexual touching of her daughter and the defendant may have been disinhibited from the effects of the alcohol, the music, the romance."

The court heard both the widowed mother and her daughter struck up a friendship with Zebaida when he performed during a Mediterranean cruise in the summer of 2011 and sat in the front row of his performances.

"The mother and the defendant became friendly with each other and made arrangements to meet in England and some sort of romantic attachment may have grown as far as the mother and the defendant were concerned."

The mother always travelled from her Essex home with her daughter for dates, twice to the Steinway studios, where Zebaida was practising, and once to the Imperial War Museum and they returned to his St. John's Wood apartment on November 24, last year after dining at an Iranian restaurant.

"We sat on the sofa and he put some music on and we had some alcoholic drinks," the mother told the jury. "My daughter had one or two vodka miniatures and I think he had some whiskey.

"He had an arm around each of us and he kissed me, which turned into a french kiss," she explained. "It was a bit of a surprise.

"He had an arm around my waist and an arm around my daughter's back and French-kissed me several times within bouts of conversation."

The daughter reluctantly shared the sofa-bed with her mother that night, the court heard. "She was uncomfortable with Robin and she wanted to leave.

"She told me his hand had been under her shirt and against her stomach."

The pair left early in the morning, despite the defendant encouraging them to stay, claimed the mother. "He said we should stay longer and began cuddling me and started undoing my bra."

The girl shared her experience with a counsellor three months later and the police were informed.

Zebaida, who also teaches music masterclasses around the world with the British Council is an examiner with the Associated board of the Royal Schools of Music.

He is also a certified masseuse and claims he had previously given the girl an innocent back rub above her clothing at the Imperial War Museum.

British-born Zebaida, of Grove End Gardens, Grove End Road has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual assault by touching.

Wednesday, 20 November 2013

The bosses of a private investigation company who illegally 'blagged' sensitive, personal information from GP surgeries, utility companies, banks and other institutions on 1,900 occasions were convicted today

of the first-ever conspiracy to source such details.

While hunting individuals who owed unpaid bills, community charges and other debts staff lied and posed as other people during phone calls to extract information on behalf of ICU Investigations Ltd and their 330 clients.

ICU's named clients included Leeds Building Society; Allianz Insurance; Dee Valley Water; Brighton and Hove City Council and Mint Credit.

The identities of other institutions and companies are shielded behind the many solicitor's firms who instructed ICU on their behalf.

The company's director and sole shareholder Barry Spencer, 41, of Hook Common, Hook, Hampshire and former company secretary Adrian Stanton, 40, of Vicarage Road, Sunbury-on-Thames will be sentenced on January 24.

They were found guilty by an Isleworth Crown Court jury of conspiring to illegally obtain data, without consent, between April 1, 2009 and May 13, 2010.

Five ex-employees, who have already admitted conspiracy charges, will be sentenced on the same date.

The company, of Legacy Centre, Hanworth Trading Estate, Hampton Road West, Feltham was also convicted on the same summons brought under the Data Protection Act.

Even though MP's have voted for a two-year maximum sentence for the offence it has not been enacted and the only penalty available to the judge is an unlimited fine.

"This case is unique in that it is the first time conspiracy has been charged," prosecutor Mr. Ben Summers told the court, announcing the prosecution will pursue financial confiscation under the Proceeds of Crime Act and apply for Mr. spencer to be banned from being a company director.

Mr. Summers told the jury during the three-week trial: "They would trick the people they were calling at utility companies and the television licensing authority etc into disclosing information that involved personal data.

"That information would be used to complete reports on people they were trying to trace and then sent to ICU's clients.

"This case is about blagging, getting information about people by deceiving others and both defendants and ICU were involved in this practise.

"All three agreed to systematically commit offences under the Data Protection Act as part of the business they provided as a tracing agent."

Companies contacted for information include Vision Express; npower; E.ON; British Gas as well as GP surgeries.

"During the period somewhere in the order of nineteen hundred separate offences were committed with blagging phone calls being made," explained Mr. Summer.

"Personal details were blagged out of the people who were contacted."

A favourite method employed was to call an organisation, posing as the person they were trying to trace, and confirm details such as addresses and contact numbers.

"The defendants were involved in agreeing these calls should be made and through them the company is also responsible.

"They ran and administered the company and its day to day operation.

"Telephone calls were routinely made that did breach the Data Protection Act because they were blagging information from people by misrepresenting who they were and what they were after.

"It is inconceivable the offences could have been committed without Mr. Spencer and Mr. Stanton knowing what was going on," added Mr. Summers.

Judge Phillip Matthew told the two men: "You have been convicted by the jury and you will be bound to provide the financial information."

He admitted driving to Guildford and buying identical fresh clothing after hearing Mr. Troyan (pic.top) was dead to separate himself forensically from the event.

"I wanted to avoid a connection with the man I met at Robert's place and all the madness that surrounded his life," Jeffs told the jury.

Prosecutor Mr. Edward Brown QC told the defendant: "You knew you killed Roberto Troyan and needed a new set of clothing," but Jeffs replied: "That's not true."

"I never went into that flat on that Friday," insisted Jeffs, dismissing the suggestion he looked "more dishevelled" on CCTV, which recorded him leaving the building.

"Except for my scarf not being tucked into my jacket I'd say I looked the same."

Jeffs admitted trying to "disavow" himself from any connection with the mystery man, but complained: "At many times I've felt that the entire weight of the Metropolitan Police force is against me."

Mr. Troyan, the civil partner of the late interior designer Anthony Feldman, invested bonds of £650,000 and £550,000 on the advice of Jeffs, who also became his £1,000 per week 'financial concierge'.

The defendant was also earning £53,000 per year with London and Weybridge, Surrey-based HFM Columbus and enjoyed an annual expense account of £8,000.

The jury have been told he abused his client's trust, buying himself two Lotus sports cars, blowing £19,500 in one night at lap dancing club Spearmint Rhino and treating himself to "expensive" holidays in the USA, Mauritius and Ibiza.

There were also VIP rugby and polo events, stays at expensive hotels, meals at top restaurants, a £1150 night at celebrity West End club Chinawhite and evidence of cocaine and ecstasy use.

Jeffs has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr. Troyan on March 8 and defrauding him between March 1, 2010 and December 2, last year.

He was found on his blood-splattered kitchen floor by his cleaner and had suffered multiple skull fractures, a fractured jaw, cheek and eye-socket and had inhaled blood into his airways.